Earthquakes With The Most Fatalities In The World, Indonesia Hit Twice

Illustration of the earthquake with the most casualties (Photo from Antara)

YOGYAKARTA - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 M that hit Turkey and Syria in early February 2020 added to the record as the most devastating earthquake ever. The Turkish earthquake also added to the list of the deadliest earthquakes with the most fatalities. Besides that, which earthquake has the most victims in the world?

Earthquakes are one of the most horrific natural disasters because they have caused the highest number of fatalities in world history. Based on records for the 2010-2019 period, earthquakes have been felt by up to 267,480 victims globally.

Apart from causing many people to die, earthquakes can also cause serious damage to buildings and roads. Based on historical events that have occurred, where are the deadliest earthquakes ever?

Earthquakes with Most Casualties in the World

Terrible earthquakes with devastating impacts have occurred in various parts of the world. The following is a list of the most terrible earthquakes that have occurred throughout history to this day.

Earthquake in Tangshan, China

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8-8.2 hit Tangshan, China, in 1976. This major earthquake resulted in 242,000 fatalities. The death toll was not only caused by earthquake shocks, but also by the impact of the earthquake.

At that time, Tangshan was a densely industrialized urban area where many factories were located. The earthquake caused many factories to explode and burn. In addition, after the earthquake, there was also a leakage of hazardous waste and gas.

Haiti earthquake

A terrible earthquake also rocked Haiti in 2010. This natural disaster became the earthquake with the most fatalities in the 21st century. The number of fatalities caused by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake reached 222,570 people.

The deadly earthquake stopped not far from Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, which is only 25 kilometers away. The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 10 km underground. With the depth of the epicenter being classified as an uproar, the earthquake shocks resulted in many buildings collapsing in densely populated cities.

Aceh Earthquake

One of the deadliest earthquakes in the world has also been recorded as having occurred in Indonesia. The Aceh earthquake in 2004 became a disaster with victims reaching 165,708 people. The earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1-9.3 also resulted in a tsunami that hit the mainland at the western tip of Sumatra Island. The tsunami occurred within minutes of the earthquake and destroyed buildings, houses, and plantations.

Valdivia Earthquake, Chile

Another of the most fatal earthquakes has occurred in Alaska. The earthquake that struck in 1960 killed 1,655 people and injured up to 3,000 people.

This devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 was followed by a tsunami. The tsunami waves even caused damage to Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines. Two days after the earthquake there was a disastrous eruption of the nearby Puyehue volcano. The eruption sent ash and vapor up to 6 kilometers into the atmosphere for several days.

Sumatra Earthquake

Indonesia has been hit by two devastating earthquakes with the highest number of fatalities ever, namely in the earthquake that hit Sumatra in 2005. This earthquake with a magnitude of 8.7 killed as many as 1,313 people and injured more than 400 people. The earthquake followed by the tsunami was centered 205 kilometers northwest of Sibolga, Sumatra, and at a depth of 30 km.

In addition to the terrible earthquakes above, earthquakes with the most fatalities have also occurred in the following places:

• The Assam, Tibet, earthquake in 1950 with a magnitude of 8.6
• Rat Island, Alaska, earthquake in 1965 with a magnitude of 8.7
• The Ecuadorian coastal earthquake in 1906 with a magnitude of 8.8
• Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake in 1952 with a magnitude of 9.0
• Tohoku Earthquake, Japan, in 2011 with a magnitude of 9.0
• The Alaska earthquake in 1964 with a magnitude of 9.2

Thus a review of the earthquake with the most fatalities that have ever occurred in history to this day. Earthquakes are the deadliest natural disasters with the highest number of victims. In addition, earthquakes are also often followed by other terrible disasters such as tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

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